Bag O' Bits Conversion & Scratchbuild Contest

[Brynjolfr]

Click the pic...

Here’s your chance to show off your skills and build that über-cool model you’ve been thinking about.  With this contest, you’ll get a bag o’ bits that you can use to convert a single unit as you see fit.

You can scratch-build an X-Wing, a 1/1000ths fishing boat, up-armour a 40k Sentinel, build an emplacement for a cannon or anything you can think of out of the supplied parts.  There really is no limitation, other than you should strive to keep it near 60mm base in size.  Chariots are a little longer, Monsters and some Sentinel-like items are about as big as we’d like.  But nothing's to stop you from adding the kit to a 1/12th GI-Joe, Titan or 1:1 Invisible Frog kit (the one with all the gizzards and guts).

No painting required.  In fact, it’s not allowed!

Rule Details

Build Parameters:
Any single unit of your choice, un-primed and unpainted.  This may be a single model, vehicle and crew (such as mounted bike/cavalry, a chariot or a robot with pilot) or similar.

Size restrictions are nominally set at 60mm square or round, but may be larger.  There is no restriction set for game system or model brand to be used.

One 'Bag-o-Bits' is supplied to you at time of entry. You can use anything and everything including the bag for your entry. 

The guy in the pic is for scale.  Some of the bits include:
Plastic Card
1 - 1mm x 4" x 4"
1 - 1mm x 2" x 8"
1 - 2mm x 2" x 8"
1 - 2mm x 3/4" x 1"
2 - 1mm x 3/4" x 1"

Card Strips & Wire
2.5 x 2.5, 2.0 x 2.0, 1.5 x 1.5, 2 x 1.5, various tubes/rods

Glue, a reasonable amount of putty/GS, and ancillary items not supplied may be used (like flock or magnets and your own bits).  Any additional items that are added, such as crew or weaponry, may be used, but cannot be the majority of your conversion.

Judging:

Appearance & Composition:
The overall look and feel of the piece; theme and visual impact.

Conversion & Integration:
The custom work done and how well the 'seams' fit; how well from the stock parts to custom built pieces flows together.

Creativity & Difficulty:
The innovative and technical aspects of the piece; for example, creating a completely organic looking Treeman is more difficult than adding armor plates to a 40k Landraider. 

Scoring:

Judges will score the entries, and there will be a popular vote. 

The popular vote will automatically place the model in 3rd place, or bump it up to the next higher, if it already placed.  For example, if a model is in second place, and wins the popular vote, it will take 1st place.

_____

Notes:
I'll be one of the judges, and we'll have one or two more.

So far, I have 10 kits pre-made, and I'll make another 10 before the contest starts.  That should be enough - if there are only 10 entries, the prizes should be $13/$7/$5, and if there are 20 entries, the prize should be $25/$15/$10 (the rest goes to buying the bag bits).

[CK]

Where would one pick up a kit, drop off the finished object and get judged?

[Brynjolfr]

Good Point - GE, this time.  Next one I run should be out of GT.

[006andahalf]

...So the only limitation is that the conversion must be comprised of at least 51% of what is in the bag?  And what is considered 'reasonable' for GS/BS/milliput?  I just want to be sure. 

[Brynjolfr]

I guess it comes down to intent and focus, perhaps, whether or not what you build comes more from your personal stash than trying to be creative with the bag o' bits. 

Say you're doing a chariot; a driver, spearman and 2 horses would not be out of line, especially if you build the chariot, terrain and a few pieces yourself.  But building a Chaos Dreadnaught out of piled up guardsmen and just doing a flat piece underneath it as a base would probably not be cool.  Well, it would be, but I hope you know what I mean.

Unreasonable GS work - perhaps a completely sculpted mini? 

Personally, I'm fairly open to ideas, and I don't think I'm really gonna disqualify someone on a technicality.

But if you've got a question specifically, shoot me a PM, and I'll do my best to answer ya.

Hope that helps.

[006andahalf]

I am simply curious -- I plan on trying my absolute best to use every piece that appears in the bag and as little else as possible (except GS which I suspect will be a necessity) because I figure that is part of the challenge -- figuring out what to do within the limitations. 

The reason I was curious was just to see what the extent of the 'limitations' were -- IE figuring out whether the focus of the contest was to figure out how to build something with primarily the bitz or whether its a contest all about "just build something cool, and here are some extra bitz to use in case you need 'em."

[grouchysmurf]

   When is it?

[Brynjolfr]

March 15th - May 17th.  Gonna join?

[Sheepshagga]

Count me in!

[ShasOPeteDawg]

Forgive me if I sound a bit uneducated...I am fairly illiterate.  May i participate in this contest if I am not yet a member of the Marauders? 

Pete

[DarkBlood]

Yes you may!!  This is an open contest.

[Brynjolfr]

Nah.  We don't like Tau players.

Everyone is welcome.  The more people that join in, the bigger the prizes, the bigger the pride.  If more than 20 people enter, we'll add more categories (like separate sci-fi and fantasy). 

[GI_Joel]

How much does it cost to enter?  I am interested in entering.

[Caledor The Dragonmaster]

 
So scratch built... ANYTHING... so it can be for mature audiences as well?

[Brynjolfr]

If you wanna make a 1:1 scale fah-fah-fah-gina, I don't mind.  But it's going in Cliff's display, so he might.  I'd say, if you think the majority of people wouldn't be offended, then go for it.  Or ask Cliff if he would mind displaying it.